Eco Avant Garde Emphasising Femininity and Play

Maddie Williams has been 'one to watch' for a while, because of her bold approach to sustainable design. Wanting to move away from overly simple designs that often represent 'eco-fashion', her collections use bold silhouettes and bright textures to draw attention to the female figure, as well as showcasing recycled materials

Photo: Beth Wood

"Art and design can be broadcast to all areas of society and be understood. You can write as many academic essays as you like but that’s not going to reach a wide audience. I think fashion is a good way to communicate a message that will be more broadly received"

Maddie Williams

Photo: Beth Wood

Much of her collection focuses on the divine feminine - informed by the merging of numerous threads of research, from Art Brut, to Ancient Greek philosophy, to the French Revolution, to Witches and Pagan celebrations, to the dress of contemporary Matriarchal Societies. The silhouettes are greatly informed by Ancient Fertility figures – carved figurines that were made to celebrate female regenerative power all across the globe, that accentuate and glorify the form of the female body.

Using recycled rubble and postal bags as the foundation of the garments to create bold stripes and twizzling ruffs, Maddie isn't afraid to make a statement with her couture costumes.